Journals @ Ontario Tech
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Leveraging Strategic Partnerships to Enhance Digital and AI Literacy Among Preservice and In-service Teachers
No full textThe rapid advancement of AI and the growing need for digital literacies are reshaping K-12 education, placing pressure on teachers to integrate emerging technologies while ensuring inclusive and accessible learning. The rise of generative AI has heightened this demand, prompting collaboration between school districts and universities to support teacher development. This study examines the impact of a four-year professional learning series aimed at enhancing digital assessment practices among pre-service and in-service teachers. Co-developed by an assistant professor at a Western Canadian university and a district educational technologist, the series focused on equipping educators with the skills to effectively incorporate digital and AI technologies into their teaching. Using a design-based research approach, the study emphasized iterative learning tied to digital and AI literacy and assessment. Participants engaged in theory, research, and practical applications, with feedback collected via questionnaires, Padlet, and Zoom chat in the form of exit slips. The Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework guided the series design with the research question focused on: How do teachers experience professional learning series designed to develop AI and digital literacies within an assessment context? Findings suggest that participants valued the pedagogical depth and practical relevance of each session. The study reinforces the importance of professional learning that is intentionally designed using an integrated approach that affords pedagogical, and competency development related to AI and digital literacies for all teachers included in the study
Creating with Twine in Uncertain Times: Digital Skills Development through Meaningful Making in Teacher Education
No full textThis paper explores how critical and multimodal digital making can support pre-service teachers in developing essential digital literacies while also offering space for creative expression and pedagogical reflection in uncertain technological and social times. Drawing from frameworks in multiliteracies, design thinking, production pedagogies, and critical media literacy, we examine the use of Twine—an open-source, nonlinear storytelling tool—within a digital literacies course in an Ontario teacher education program in fall 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Through analysis of post-course interviews and reflection papers from five teacher candidates, we highlight how participants navigated multimodal composition, iterative design, and purpose-driven storytelling to engage deeply with both technological tools and curricular content. Findings underscore Twine’s potential to foster creative confidence, ethical reflection, and critical engagement with media technologies. As generative AI continues to transform digital creation, we argue that hands-on, reflective digital making experiences remain crucial for helping future educators understand, critique, and thoughtfully integrate technology in their own classrooms
Empowering Educators for a Digital Classroom: The \u27Future Ready Teacher Candidates\u27 Program
No full textThis paper presents the ‘Future Ready Teacher Candidates’ professional development program offered at Brock University, Canada. This extracurricular opportunity provided teacher candidates (TCs) in the pre-service teacher education program with access to emerging technologies and pedagogical support on how to use those technologies in interdisciplinary teaching. Workshops included the following topics: micro:bits, coding, and educational robotics; 3D modelling and printing; instructional use of smart boards and e-Glass; and immersive learning experiences through virtual reality and augmented reality. Using a narrative inquiry approach, the authors present the program rationale, successes, and challenges as well as their reflections on its importance. Additionally, the paper documents participants’ reflections collected using a survey that was administered after each workshop. Findings show that TCs reported a positive impact of the program on their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge related to using emerging technologies in the classroom. The authors highlight the importance of strategic and collaborative approaches to TCs’ training on technology in teacher education programs and the integral role that university resource centres play in this regard. Implications for teacher education research and practice are presented
Editorial: Technology and Teacher Education in Canada
No full textWelcome to Volume 6, Issue 1, of the Journal of Digital Life and Learning. This special issue is co-edited by Dr. Mohammed Estaiteyeh (Brock University), Dr. Helen DeWaard (Lakehead University), and Matteo Di Muro (Brandon University), on behalf of the Technology and Teacher Education (TATE) special interest group.
TATE is a special interest group within the Canadian Association of Teacher Education (CATE), a constituent of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE). Its mission is to foster a collaborative network of educational researchers dedicated to exploring the intersections of technology and teacher education in Canada. Building on the success of the special issues from 2024 and 2020, and inspired by discussions held during our annual conference, this special issue aims to showcase Canadian scholar expertise and amplify the diverse voices of the TATE community
Generative AI in Teacher Education: Theory and Practice
No full textThis action research study investigates how pre-service teachers are learning to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications through the integration of their course and practicum-based experiences. The five core competencies of our Bachelor of Education program were used to guide the research: planning, assessment, inclusive environment, facilitation, and professional responsibilities. The findings suggest that the teacher candidates are currently focused on learning how to use GenAI for lesson planning and student assessment. Use of GenAI to support an inclusive environment and facilitate student learning is presently limited. In terms of professional responsibilities, at this point in time there appears to a lack of guidance at both the university and K-12 school levels regarding the ethical use of GenAI. This study demonstrates that the growing importance of GenAI in teacher education means that it needs to be dealt with at the program level rather than just in a single educational technology course. For example, ethics courses, case studies of AI use in educational settings, and guided discussions on potential GenAI scenarios need to take place throughout the program
What Does YouTube Have to Say about Quantum Physics? Conceptual Metaphors for Quantum Physics in Video Shorts
No full textIn the era of ubiquitous information, influencers shape perceptions, even in quantum physics education. Modern students, influenced by online platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, enter quantum physics classes with preconceived notions, imagery, and metaphors of quantum concepts. This study explores the quality and messages of popular science media, focusing on conceptual metaphors in short YouTube videos explaining quantum physics. The analysis of the videos aimed to unveil patterns in language, visuals, and gestures, shedding light on how these media influence students’ meaning-making. Overall, the videos featured reputable scientists and generally accurate information. However, the most perpetuated theme was the weirdness stereotype of the theory. Within the whole set of videos, the wave-particle duality conceptual metaphor was prominent, with many videos using the particle notion and others alluding more to the wave-nature concept, but only a few videos addressed the blended metaphor directly. Importantly, interpretations of quantum mechanics were diverse, except for the undisputed reliance on math. Recognising the impact of online education sources, this research strives to inform educators about the content shaping students’ perspectives
Educational Robotics in the Field: A Learning Experience for Pre-Service and Cooperating Teachers
No full textEducational robotics (ER) has been introduced into K–12 classrooms for its adaptability across subjects and grade levels. While previous studies have shown that ER effectively enhances students’ learning and understanding, little research has examined how pre-service and in-service teachers collaboratively learn and support one another through ER-integrated teaching. This study explored how teaching pairs of pre-service and in-service teachers collaborated, the challenges and opportunities that arose during implementation, and professional growth and needs around the use of ER in the classroom. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight teachers who attended a university-led ER professional development (PD) workshop and delivered ER-integrated mini-units. Findings revealed that the collaborative design of PD sessions fostered a shared commitment to integrating technology in the classroom. The implementation stage formed a supportive professional learning community that encouraged teachers to take risks and embrace uncertainty. Participants valued ER for enhancing student learning and promoting inclusivity, autonomy, and collaboration, but identified technical challenges, limited resources and budgets, insufficient ongoing technical support, and a lack of curriculum-aligned guidance as major obstacles to sustainable implementation. The study emphasizes the importance of continuous professional development and institutional support to sustain ER-integrated instruction. Cross-career-stage collaboration boosts teacher confidence, fosters growth through challenges, and promotes lifelong learning among educators of all experience levels
Beyond Digital Skills: Rethinking Technology Integration in Teacher Education
No full textTeacher education plays a pivotal role in equipping preservice teachers with the competencies needed to integrate technology effectively in their teaching. This study explores how teacher education prepares preservice teachers to navigate and leverage learning technologies in undergraduate courses and field experiences. Using the TPACK framework as a lens for analysis, we examined how preservice teachers are supported in developing technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. Six participants engaged in one of four focus group discussions informed by survey results from a larger international study. Findings reveal variability in the development and assessment of digital competencies within one teacher education program. While participants acknowledged promising practices for fostering technological fluency and critical digital literacy, they also highlighted challenges related to ethical concerns, policy shifts, and balancing technology use with student-centred learning. We conclude with recommendations for strengthening technological competencies in teacher education by emphasizing a transformative view with holistic approaches and ongoing professional learning
Editorial: Emerging Canadian Research in STEAM Education - Sociocultural Perspectives and Innovations
No full textNavigating GenAI in Teacher Education: An Empathetic, Verstehen-Informed Framework
No full textThis paper explores the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence Technologies (GenAI) into teacher education through a Verstehen-informed lens that centers empathetic understanding while safeguarding humanistic teaching practices. We synthesize global, national, and institutional responses and juxtapose them with insights from educators navigating GenAI in secondary classrooms, illuminating tensions between innovation and erosion of pedagogical integrity, uneven policy guidance, and urgent capacity-building needs in Faculties of Education (FOEs). The paper advances a collaborative, equity-driven model for FOEs that translates these insights into actionable institutional design. The model specifies five mutually reinforcing structures including AI Co-Labs for co-development and evaluation; sandbox classrooms for low-risk pedagogical experimentation; student advisory panels to protect agency and inclusion; equity-first implementation for access checks, bias mitigation, and impact monitoring; and clear governance protocols for data, transparency, and accountability, thus providing a pragmatic blueprint to operationalize responsible GenAI preparation. By aligning interpretive principles with implementable mechanisms for curriculum, professional learning, and policy, the model offers FOEs and policymakers concrete pathways to harness GenAI’s benefits while mitigating risks and preserving humanistic teaching